1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a multi-needle sewing machine which executes a sewing operation based on embroidery data for sewing an embroidery pattern composed of a plurality of pattern-by-color portions, using a plurality of thread spools set on a thread spool stand, and the disclosure also relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing an embroidery data processing program.
2. Related Art
There have conventionally been known multi-needle sewing machines which sew an embroidery pattern based on embroidery data. One of the multi-needle sewing machines is provided with a plurality of needle bars to which needles are attached respectively. Different colors of needle threads are supplied to the respective needles of the needle bars. A plurality of embroidery patterns is stored on a storage device built in the multi-needle sewing machine or on an external storage device such as a ROM card or a flexible disc. When a user selects a desirable one of the plural embroidery patterns, the multi-needle sewing machine reads embroidery data of the selected embroidery pattern to sew the embroidery pattern on a workpiece cloth while transferring an embroidery frame holding the cloth by a transfer mechanism.
An embroidery pattern normally includes a plurality of pattern-by-color portions. More specifically, embroidery data of an embroidery pattern includes thread color data for identifying colors of pattern-by-color portions. One of the needle bars is selected and the selected needle bar is moved to a sewing position so that each pattern-by-color portion is sewn in a set color (thread color). In this case, when the color of each pattern-by-color portion is similar to a color of the workpiece cloth (fabric) on which the embroidery pattern is to be sewn, there would occur a problem that each pattern-by-color portion is difficult to distinguish from the workpiece cloth. More specifically, when an embroidery pattern of “flower” is sewn on a workpiece cloth that has the same color as a color of pattern-by-color portion of flower petal, the flower petal and the workpiece cloth are difficult to distinguish each from the other, whereupon there is a possibility that the embroidery pattern may mistakenly be regarded as an odd flower without flower petal.
In view of the above-described problem, the conventional art provides an embroidery data generating device which stores coloration data indicative of preferable combinations of colors, so that colors of thread color data of pattern-by-color portions are set on the basis of cloth data indicative of the coloration data, color of the workpiece cloth and the like.
The aforementioned conventional embroidery data generating device unmistakably determines colors of pattern-by-color portions of an embroidery pattern based on the color of the workpiece cloth and coloration data. However, the user would sometimes sew each pattern-by-color portion in a preferable color or an odd color but not using a previously set color. Furthermore, in order that such designation of colors of an embroidery pattern may be carried out, data of each pattern-by-color portion needs to be read one by one to confirm and designate thread color data, with the result that the embroidery sewing is troublesome.